1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a connector with locks for locking terminal fittings.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-297816 discloses a connector with a housing that has opposite front and rear ends and cavities that extend between the ends. The connector also includes terminal fittings that can be inserted into the respective cavities. A lock projects forward along an inner wall of each cavity and is supported at only at one end. The lock interferes with the outer surface of the terminal fitting as the terminal fitting is inserted into the cavity. Thus, the lock resiliently deforms and retracts from the insertion path of the terminal fitting. However, the lock resiliently returns and engages the terminal fitting when the terminal fitting reaches a proper insertion position.
The front end of each lock defines a fastening portion that engages the terminal fitting from behind. Further, a jig contact portion is formed at the side of the fastening portion and has a sliding-contact surface corresponding to each terminal fitting. The locked terminal fitting can be withdrawn from the housing by inserting a jig into the housing from the front. The jig then is slid on the sliding contact surface of the jig contact portion to deform the lock away from the terminal fitting. Thus, the locked state is canceled, and the terminal fitting may be withdrawn backward while the lock is held in the unlocked state.
However, frictional resistance generally is large during withdrawal of the withdrawing jig.
The present invention was developed in view of the above problem and an object thereof is to improve operability of a withdrawing jig.
The invention relates to a connector with a housing formed with at least one cavity and at least one terminal fitting that is insertable into the cavity from behind. A lock is cantilevered forwardly along an inner wall of the cavity and is resiliently deformable to exit an insertion path for the terminal fitting. A fastening portion is defined at the front of the lock for locking the terminal fitting by engaging the terminal fitting from behind. At least one jig contact portion is formed in proximity to the fastening portion of the lock. Thus, a withdrawing jig can be inserted into the housing from the front, and slides in contact with the jig contact portion. Thus, the lock is deformed in a direction to disengage from the terminal fitting, thereby canceling the locked state. The front end of the jig contact portion is spaced from the front end of the fastening portion along the jig insertion direction.
The withdrawing jig starts sliding on the jig contact portion later during its inserting process as compared with a case where the front end of the jig contact portion is at the same position as the fastening portion. Thus, there is a shorter stroke of sliding-contact accompanied by frictional resistance between the withdrawing jig and the jig contact portion. Accordingly, frictional resistance is reduced, and excellent operability of the withdrawing jig can be realized.
The jig contact portion preferably is formed at the side of the fastening portion of the lock.
The fastening portion preferably projects more toward a withdrawing jig insertion path than the jig contact portion, and a side surface of a projecting part of the fastening portion serves as a guiding surface for the withdrawing jig. Thus, the withdrawing jig is guided by the guiding surface before reaching the jig contact portion and is prevented from loose movements. As a result, the withdrawing jig can be inserted stably.
The front end surface of the fastening portion preferably slopes back from a locking end thereof toward the front end of the jig contact portion. The withdrawing jig could be displaced sideways from a proper position and could strike against the fastening portion. However, the jig would be guided away from the terminal fitting by the inclination of the front surface of the fastening portion and will not contact the terminal fitting.
The housing has a deformation permitting space for permitting the lock to be deformed away from the terminal fitting. A surface of the lock that faces the deformation permitting space preferably is slanted. Thus, the fastening portion and the jig contact portion gradually thin toward the front end of the lock.
A necessary and minimum distance between the lock in an unbiased state and the inner wall of the deformation permitting space is so set that the front edge of the surface of the lock facing the deformation permitting space does not interfere with the inner wall of the deformation permitting space when the lock is disengaged from the terminal fitting. However, in this invention, the surface of the lock facing the deformation permitting space is sloped to be more distanced from the inner wall of the deformation permitting space toward the front. Therefore, even if the distance from the inner wall of the deformation permitting space to the lock is smaller, a larger degree of resilient deformation of the lock can be ensured.
The front end of the jig contact portion preferably is at the same position as the front end of the slanted surface. Thus, the front end of the jig guiding surface and the front end of the slanted surface meet to form an acute angled edge.
The sum of the width of the fastening portion and of the jig contact portion(s) preferably exceeds the width of the cavity.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading of the following detailed description of preferred embodiments and accompanying drawings. It should be understood that even though embodiments are separately described, single features thereof may be combined to additional embodiments.